


Maybe this year will be different

by Scvalentine



Series: The Last Hope of the Noble House of Black [2]
Category: Harry Potter - Fandom, Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Aromantic, Aromantic Asexual Regulus Black, Asexual Character, Asexual Regulus Black, Harry Potter - Freeform, Marauders, Marauders Era (Harry Potter), Regulus Black - Freeform, Slytherin Harry Potter, sirius black - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-26
Updated: 2020-08-31
Packaged: 2021-03-06 20:33:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,306
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26114998
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Scvalentine/pseuds/Scvalentine
Summary: The Black house is still reeling from Sirius' departure, and Regulus is ready to get back to Hogwarts, although not without trepidation.
Series: The Last Hope of the Noble House of Black [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1894639
Comments: 2
Kudos: 19





	1. Another year at Hogwarts begins

Regulus spent the last bit of summer break avoiding his mother, which was remarkably easy as the only two people in the huge house. Kreacher spent most of the day trailing after his mistress trying to placate her, without success. Regulus hadn’t tried to talk to her again about Sirius, but his brother had not returned. Regulus assumed he had gone to stay with his friend James, an annoying, pompous boy who loved attention and never seemed to deserve it, but Sirius still had one year left at Hogwarts, so they had to see each other there. At least, Regulus hoped. 

When September 1st finally dawned, Regulus was ready with his trunk down in the entrance hall beneath the glowering faces of Kreacher’s ancestors. He sat in the kitchen as the sun rose and listened to Kreacher’s chatter about how his mistress was doing, and what a terrible thing Master Sirius had done, he didn’t deserve to be a thought in the mistress’s head, no he didn’t. Regulus half listened while he nervously ate his eggs and swirled more cream around in his coffee. Going back to Hogwarts would mean getting out of this house, which had become oppressive in the last weeks, but Regulus also felt such anxiety at the thought of reuniting with his classmates. Each year he felt like he was a first year again, being asked a million questions and having to try to fit with a group enough to have somewhere to sit at dinner. 

Regulus did have friends in Slytherin, at least, people he enjoyed more than others, but he always felt like he had to put on some sort of face when he was around them. To the others, he appeared impassive and cold, even while his palms were sweating, and his mind was racing. Maybe this year would be different though, maybe he’d finally feel comfortable. But, of course, he’d told himself the same thing each year, maybe this year would be different. And it never was. 

But still, there would be classes, there was the library, the grounds to wander through. And Sirius, he had to talk to Sirius. Maybe he could make his brother see reason, or at least make sure that he didn’t hate Regulus. 

At 8:30, Regulus decided it was time. He climbed the stairs and stood outside of his mother’s door, knocking gently. 

“I’m leaving, mother. Hogwarts starts today, are you coming to the train station with me? I’m about to leave.” He waited, heard her shuffle inside. When she didn’t reply he knocked again and slowly turned the door handle. He pushed the door open a few inches and peered in. She had sat up in her bed, bare feet dangling over the edge and her trailing, lacy nightgown still on. She looked at him through the crack he’d opened and pulled her lips up into a smile. 

“My dear, I am ill. Please, go without me. Write to me and return to me, please?! Please return,” her voice trembled and she stood to walk towards him. He stepped through the door and held his hand out to her, she sank into his arms. In the past year he had grown substantially and now her head rested just below his collar bone, he could feel her sobs as she clung to him.   
“Of course I’ll be home mother. I wouldn’t miss Christmas with you, not ever. Kreacher and I have already planned the decorations for the drawing room. Obsidian orbs, they’ll be everywhere, it will be wonderful. Don’t worry, mother. I’ll return,” Regulus put his hands on her shoulder and pushed her back so he could look at her. She had not been fully herself since his father’s death years before, but now she seemed to be in a shroud already. 

“I’ll write, mother. I’ll write as soon as I arrive!” He kissed her hand and backed away, leaving her standing in the middle of her room, gown pooling at her feet as she slouched into herself. Her hollow eyes followed him as he turned and retreated down the stairs. 

Regulus said goodbye to Kreacher, asking him to take good care of her, and, lugging his trunk, stepped across the threshold into the cool London air. He breathed, deeply in and out. Maybe Hogwarts would be different this year. 

***


	2. The Hogwarts Express

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We pick up after Regulus has left Grimmauld Place to return to Hogwarts. This chapter covers the journey back and introduces a new character, Magdalena Bulstrode.

The Knight Bus lurched to a stop outside of King’s Cross Station and Regulus shuffled his trunk onto the sidewalk where he could find a cart. A couple other Hogwarts students filed off of the bus and nodded tentatively to Regulus as they all walked separately but together towards platform 9. When they had passed through the wall, they found the platform empty apart from a couple of first years and their families who were clearly too nervous to wait at home. Regulus knew the train wouldn’t leave for another hour and a half, but he refused to sit at home simmering in anxious nerves. At least if he was here, he couldn’t possibly miss the train, plus he could watch for people to arrive. 

When the clock struck 10, Regulus smiled. Magdalena Bulstrode had just come through the passage, her tall Spanish mother and pasty English father following behind her. They looked conflicted as they followed their daughter, who had left her curling brown hair loose rather than slick in a bun like her mother. Magdalena also walked with an air of confidence that was at once rebellious and proud, drawing eyes even though she said and did nothing out of the ordinary. She turned and hugged each of her parents, whose faces warmed despite their obvious self-consciousness. Regulus watched as she motioned towards him, and her parents nodded approvingly and turned to leave. When they had gone through the passage, she turned and grinned and pushed her cart towards him. 

Magdalena and Regulus had become friends in their third year, when they were the only Slytherins to choose Arithmancy and Ancient Runes as their electives. They both had cultivated strong ambitions to work in the Department of Mysteries, delving into old magical texts and artifacts to discover lost secrets. Magdalena was somewhat of an outcast in Slytherin, with a pure-blood English father who had defied his family and married a witch from a prominent Moroccan family who traced their magical blood as far as Joseph ben Judah who even muggles knew of in the 12th century. The rest of the Bulstrode’s told people she was from Spain, which was partially right since she her family was from Ceuta, but Magdalena’s mother had always taught her that their family was Moroccan, and had taught her Arabic as well as Spanish. Magdalena had taken her mother’s private teaching to heart and was now vocal about her family, much to the chagrin of the Bulstrode clan. 

Magdalena sat down with a huff next to Regulus, her green-hazel eyes sparkling as she feigned an exasperated sigh. 

“Parents…” She said, giving into the grin that Regulus mirrored in his awkward way, “How was your summer? Read anything good?”

“You have no idea!” Regulus thought for a millisecond of telling her about Sirius and his mother, but instead launched into a detailed recap of the books he had read, muggle and magical alike. They carried on until the train arrived at 10:30, when they paused to get their trunks loaded and get a good carriage. 

As they approached the train, Regulus stopped, staring at the passage to the platform. Sirius had just come through, hands in his pockets and with his normal, barely-there swagger. Next to him was James Potter and his parents. So that’s where he had gone. Regulus’ heart dropped and jumped at the same moment, he raised his hand slightly as if to wave to his brother. Sirius’ eyes slid onto him and hardened, Regulus’ hand dropped limply to his side. Sirius and James turned to the Potters and hugged them both, before climbing onto one of the front carriages. Regulus turned back to Magdalena, who has standing on the steps, watching him with a crinkled brow. 

“What was that all about? Had he been visiting with that asshole over the summer or something?”

“He… He left, a few weeks ago… My mom’s done with him, he’s out of the family…” Regulus hadn’t spoken about that day yet, and had tried as hard as possible not even to think about it. Saying it aloud, he realized his voice began to waver. He cleared his throat and swallowed, setting his face to be impassive. Magdalena saw his eyes start to tear up and turned, allowing him to follow her into a compartment without being watched. Once inside, they both turned their backs and put on their school robes, preferring not to do this with whoever might end up with them during the trip. Regulus fumbled with his robe clasps, the silky green slipping in his trembling fingers. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply, working to convince himself if Sirius was going to hate him, then fuck it. 

He turned around just as Magdalena did and fell into the cushioned seat. She looked at him briefly before returning to their conversation about reading material. As 11 neared, the train began to fill, Regulus and Magdalena paused their conversation and watched people out of the window. First years trembled as they bravely said goodbye to their parents, second and third years did the same, although they wouldn’t have you believe the trembling part. Regulus laughed at a small eleven year old who would clearly become a Slytherin as he patted each of his parents on the arm and lifted his nose to walk onto the train, only to trip slightly as a cat cut him off. 

“Hey, Reg, have you seen Sirius?” The soft voice spoke from behind them, causing Regulus to jump. Nobody called him Reg except Sirius’ friends, he hated it. When he turned around there stood a pale, disheveled Remus Lupin in the corridor. His hand lay on the door frame and Regulus could see a fresh scab stretching from forefinger down to his wrist and then away beneath his sleeve. Remus had always been nicer than James, and slightly nervous around Sirius, at least when Regulus had been with them alone. He felt a kindred spirit in Remus, although Sirius would never have thought it. 

“He… he and James,” Regulus stuttered as he spoke, but thankfully Magdalena had also turned around. 

“They are in the first carriage. See you in runes reading group this year?” Her voice was strong where Regulus’ had faltered, and Remus smiled and nodded at both of them.

“Wouldn’t miss it, though I think we may have to start later on Thursdays, if 7th years have the same Potions schedule as they had last year, Slughorn is pretty predictable. I’ll catch up with you and the rest of the group tomorrow in our meeting before breakfast though?” Magdalena nodded and she and Regulus both managed a wave as Remus pointed his wand to raise his trunk again and hurried to the front where Sirius and James were waiting. Magdalena glanced sideways at Regulus, but didn’t say anything. 

The train ride to Hogwarts was long but uneventful. Regulus and Magdalena were joined by a couple other Slytherins, including a distant cousin of both of them, Magnus Flint. Flint was so shy that he barely spoke four words during the trip. Although he was well known in the House because of his Quidditch skill, he didn’t have many friends. Regulus and Magdalena didn’t mind his presence, although they were engrossed in their own conversation for most of the trip about a medieval manuscript they had both been reading about and were hoping to find in the Hogwarts library. The library was notoriously bad at manuscript conservation, in that Madam Pince did absolutely nothing and seemed to only have catalogued books from the past 500 years. The two of them had spent many hours on weekends climbing the tall ladders to search through the molding manuscripts that enclosed spells and secrets from before the founding of Hogwarts. They were both part of a runes reading group, along with Remus and two other seventh years, that worked with Professor Babbling once a week to transcribe and translate some of the older manuscripts the professor found in the library, most of which were in different iterations of the FUTHARK alphabet and held magic within their very letters. 

When the train slid into Hogsmeade station, Regulus and Magdalena were some of the first off of their carriage, having changed much earlier. They made their way towards the horseless carriages and made to climb into one, only to have the door slammed back on Regulus’ fingers. 

“Reg, you really don’t want to get into this one. Move along, little brother,” Sirius’ voice was bitter and cold, “You wouldn’t want it to get back to our beloved Mother that you were seen with me.”

Regulus backed down from the step and stared at his brother. Their faces held the same structure, but Regulus felt his begin to crumble. He took a sharp breath and steadied himself, letting his eyes harden to match Sirius. 

“You didn’t even say goodbye,” this wasn’t what Regulus had meant to say, he’d meant to have a comeback to match his brother’s tone, but instead he spoke these words in a toneless, drained voice. Sirius seemed taken aback by this, but Regulus was so mortified by what he had said that he turned and strode off to another carriage before anybody could say anything. As he climbed up and leaned back to hide himself from the outside, he heard James’ laugh echo in the night and the heat of adrenaline that had been running through Regulus froze in an instant.


End file.
